Árulás
by xXSilentCrysXx
Summary: Izuku Midoriya is a villain unknown to the public eye. After being captured by the senior students of U.A., he offers information for protection. Villain!Deku AU, Prologue to the Redemption Series. Chapter warnings and pairings inside. Rated: M.
1. Prologue

**Hi, it's been a few years for me since I've written anything substantial. Please bear with me and any grammatical mistakes I may have made. As for the story itself, the writing in gets better after the first couple of chapters as I became more confident. The plot in this is very fast-paced for a reason. The reason being: This story is a two maybe three parter. This fanfic is just the introduction, hence why it's so short.**

**This story is also labeled as "Todoroki x Izuku" because that's where the story will be heading in the next part. **

**Fanfic Warnings: It's rated M for minor violence, filthy language, minor sexual assault, and implied underage drinking. Since the characters are technically underage (they're 17), nothing happens in this one. (But there will probably be lemon in the next part.)**

**Pairings: Kirishima x Bakugo, some minor Dabi x Midoriya. Todoroki x Midoriya will be much more prevalent in the second part.**

**Without further ado, enjoy the prologue sequence to Arulas.**

* * *

He shuddered violently, the skin on his arms breaking out in goosebumps. He let out a shaky exhale, the air so cold that it was visible, not that he cared. It was the dead of winter, the snow flurrying lightly around him. It had been a few months since that incident. Bakugo was so close the death, that villain suffocating him. His hands balled into fists at the memory. He remembered everything, how he confronted his idol, only to be shot down. Another shaky inhale. How Kachaan was _dying_ and all he could was watch from a distance, frozen. His knuckles were strained now, turning white under the pressure. He had just taken a step forward when Bakugo managed to free himself with his quirk. He lifted his shaking hands to grip his bare arms in a feeble attempt to keep himself warm. The media had swarmed him, giving him a sure-fire way of getting into U.A.

His childhood friend was succeeding, why couldn't he be happy for him? He looked up from the sidewalk he was walking aimlessly down. '_...because he isn't my friend. He never was.'_ Izuku's eyes bore into the distance, and while he may not have liked his current thoughts, he knew they were true. Kachaan was a bully, taking advantage of him being quirkless. Another glance around made his breath hitch slightly. He had no idea where the hell he was. He had never been to this neighborhood before, the houses far larger than his and his mother's humble apartment. Most of the houses were dark, with the exception of one or two. '_I wonder how late it is…'_

A loud commotion reached his ears, causing him to startle slightly. Yelling from the house across the street from where he stood, which was one of the few exceptions with their lights on this late. He turned and looked at the place just as a door opened and slammed shut, a dark shape shifting slightly in the dark before stepping into the porchlight. It was a boy, probably around his age, wearing a thick jacket. When the boy looked up Izuku startled again. The boy's hair was two entirely different colours, and even from here he could see the scar over the his left eye. They stood there for a moment, staring at each other. If the other was at all surprised by Izuku's presence, he didn't show it. '_I wonder how I look right now…'_

The reason he was wandering the streets in the middle of the night? He had been out, going to a new comic book shop that had opened across town when a man pulled him into a nearby alley. The man held a knife to his throat and demanded that he give him Izuku's jacket, phone, and wallet. He did so, but was punched in the face before the man fled. The trains were closed, not that it would have mattered since he lost his wallet. So here he was: cold, lost, and tired.

"What are you doing?" The boy finally broke the silence between them, his two-toned eyes bore into Izuku's, making him shudder involuntarily. Lost in thought, trying to come up with an appropriate answer, he didn't notice the boy approach him. He stood in front of him now, his held tilted slightly as Izuku looked up at him. Finally, he swallowed and forced his hoarse voice to answer.

"I don't know…" The other raised an eyebrow at this, and continued to stare as though the answer didn't satisfy his curiosity. Izuku felt the waterworks finally threatening to spill over as he mumbled out a further explanation. "I-I mean, I don't know where I am... I got lost a-and was robbed… a-and-" he choked on his own words, which he was almost grateful for as he swallowed a sob that was threatening to bubble from his throat. The boy nodded, gesturing to his face.

"You have a black eye." He replied bluntly, his voice somewhat monotone. The boy hesitated for a moment before bringing his hands up, tugging his jacket off before pulling on the hoodie underneath. Izuku froze in place, confused at the other's actions but his thoughts were still along the lines of '_how the fuck am I going to explain this to mom...'_ He only snapped out of his own head when he noticed a bundle of fabric being handed to him. He glanced up at the boy again, several questions flitted across his expression. The other simply shrugged. "I can control my body temperature. You need this more than I do."

Izuku felt his cheeks heat up as he stared at the hoodie and jacket. A part of him hesitated, wanted to thank the stranger but insist that he would be fine; the part of him that won the internal conflict, however, was the one that was freezing its ass off. He pulled the hoodie and jacket on, his skin shivering again at the temperature change. He looked up at the stranger and smiled gratefully. "Thank you…"

"Todoroki."

"Thank you, Todoroki."

* * *

His new acquaintance practically walked shoulder to shoulder with him, only sparking Izuku's nerves more. They hadn't uttered much in the past few minutes, only that Todoroki was walking him to the nearest 24 hour bus stop. He protested lightly, saying that he had done enough for him but it was fruitless in the end. '_It's like arguing with a brick wall.'_

He smiled though, enjoying the other's silent company. There was something captivating about him. Reaching the corner of the sidewalk just as a bus pulled up, Todoroki held out his closed hand. Izuku looked at him, confused, but held his out reluctantly. A couple of coins clinked into it, and his green eyes widened up at the other. "Oh no- I'll be fine from here, you've done enough for me as is…" he was about to ramble but the other put his hand on his shoulder, ceasing the muttering.

"I want to be a hero one day." It was such a brief sentence but it said everything. Everything Izuku once thought, everything he _dreamed_. He nodded in an understanding manner, before emotion overtook him and he wrapped his arms around the stranger. When the other made no move to wrap his arms around him, he pulled away.

"I'm sure you'll be the best one yet." He choked out, blinking the tears away before they fell. The other looked down at him, wide-eyed but didn't say anything. The bus opened its doors, beckoning Izuku in. He turned and offered him a smile. "I'll return the jacket as soon as I can." Was all he offered when he turned and stepped onto the bus.

How wrong he was.

* * *

**A/N: Please leave me feedback.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Heya, so ima be real here. I'm not really happy with the writing in the next couple chapters, but I can't really think of how I would go about changing it, so bear with it because I promise it gets better. Please notify me of any grammatical errors, thank you.**

* * *

Todoroki woke quietly, his eyes slowly opening to reveal the familiar ceiling of his dorm room. This dream was recurring to him, meeting that boy whose name he never caught. It came every other night or so. He let out a silent exhale before standing. It had been years, but he never forgot how grateful that kid had been. He couldn't have been much younger than Shoto, if at all. It was that night that he decided he was going to fight to become the best hero he could be, not for his father, but for people like that kid. As he dressed for the day, his mind went blank, falling into routine.

Stepping outside the door, he was greeted by Kirishima and Bakugo, two of his classmates. "Hey man, thought you were still passed out." The redhead offered a smile, but Todoroki just stared back blankly before walking passed them. The two followed, however, and Kirishima filled him in about today's plan. They were halfway into the first semester of their senior year when Nezu proposed a "final exam." They split into different groups and were in charge of looking after districts throughout the city, a pro overlooking them just in case anything went wrong. The aim was to mix up the teams as much as possible, so they would be forced to work with people they normally wouldn't prefer. Bakugo, Kirishima, Iida, and him were stuck together, much to his dismay. The only one from his group he could remotely stand was the redhead.

His boots hit the concrete underneath him harshly as he kept an eye on the shadows. That's when he heard the nearby scream. Running back in the direction he had just come from, he radioed into his teammates who signalled that they were already enroute. In the middle section connecting the alleys, they found the scene before them. A short male in a green and white bodysuit with what appeared to be ears sticking up from the hood, a metal mask covering his jaw, standing over a scantily clad woman lying on the concrete. There were what appeared to be blades of some sort attached to his elbows, which the young hero made a mental note to be wary of. He wore a dark grey jacket over the suit, which looked vaguely familiar to Shoto. The hood covered his face, but it was clear that he was frustrated. The suspect looked up and made eye contact with Todoroki before hesitating. They stood like that for a moment before the villain began scrambling, sprinting down one of the alleys. After a careful glance at the woman who was scared but unharmed, he sprinted after the suspect. He wasn't far behind him, raising his hand to use his quirk just as smoke appeared, and the villain sprinted far ahead of him. Shoto continued to give chase, looking down the see the jets in the suspect's boots were beginning to sputter before giving out. His lungs were beginning to protest at this point, but he didn't give up; he heard the yelling behind him as Iida raced passed him and the villain, cutting him off. Now trapped, he could see the evil-doer was beginning to panic when he suddenly leapt up, grabbing a fire escape railing and pulling himself up.

Izuku laughed as he turned and saw the others looking up behind him, eyes wide. He raced up the rusty metal stairs of the fire escape as he heard the others take up the chase once more. There was a loud explosion behind him, but he didn't dare stop running. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, relying on his agility, he looked to make sure they were concentrating on him. He saw 4 of them now, but it was the blonde one that caused his stomach to become heavy with fear. His legs were on fire from running, but he didn't feel like dying today. Glancing ahead he saw a rooftop with a door, bringing a smirk to his face under the mask. '_Thank god, I'd almost given up hope.'_

Upon reaching the roof he made a hard left, swinging the door open but kept running past it, hiding behind the concrete wall on the edge of the roof. He heard footsteps trample into the building, and down the stairs. Letting out a sigh of relief, he almost melted onto the ledge. That was, until he felt a fist ball up in the front of his suit and yank him back to the safety of the roof's platform. It took one look into those angry eyes to reveal who had captured him. He grinned wildly under the mask, and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, well… you caught me. That's a first."

His voice was distorted under the mask, which he was thankful for, otherwise the other would've recognized him instantly. He paused for a moment, rendering his body completely still to lure a false sense of security into Bakugo. He waited a few more moments before he could see the muscles in the other's biceps relax just a bit. It was now or never. He raised his arm so quickly there was no way the other could've seen it coming, landing a hard punch onto his cheekbone. He wriggled free of his grasp, sprinting towards the edge of the roof. He heard the string of curses behind him, but didn't look back. If he had, he would've seen the dual-quirk hero witness the ordeal, and he could've prevented himself from being frozen in place. '_Shit, now I really am caught.'_

Todoroki walked calmly towards the villain, standing in front of him now. "Surrender and give us your name," He held his hand up to the other's face "or I'll freeze you completely." Although he knew the hero couldn't see it, he smirked under the mask and let out a quiet distorted chuckle.

"Kinky."

He heard the racing of the other two heroes he managed to juke coming up the stairs. He stared off into space for a moment, taking careful consideration of the boy in front of him. There was also that bully behind him he had to worry about. Letting out a defeated sigh, loud enough for everyone to hear, he raised his hands and waited to be cuffed. Todoroki did so before the villain could change his mind, and repeated his earlier statement. "Your name?"

"I want to talk to your superior."

"Excuse me?" He heard Bakugo snort behind him, "What the fuck kind of name is that?"

"It's not a name, you Neanderthal." The villain replied cheekily, he couldn't see him, but he knew from experience that the other would be fuming at the insult. This was confirmed when he heard a string of angry curses, as well as the clacking of footsteps getting closer. "Do you still furrow your eyebrows when you're angry, Kachaan?" The footsteps ceased.

"What did you just call me?" He heard the anger in that voice, but underneath it was laced with something else.

"You heard me the first time." He turned his attention back to the hero in front of him, staring up at the taller male. He recognized that hair the second he saw him… the scar, the eyes. There was no mistaking it. "Been a while, Todoroki."

A voice he doesn't recognize behind him pipes up. "Don't falter, he's trying to get us to let our guards down so he can escape." The voice got closer as it spoke, standing beside him now. It belonged to the fast one who cut him off in the alley. Raising his hands, still cuffed, he slowly clapped.

"Gold star for the kiddo, now how about that-" He began, only to be cut off when he heard a soft thud behind him.

"Eraser-head!" The one next to him exclaimed, looking past him at the older hero who landed on the roof. The pro approached them, taking Todoroki's place in front of the villain. He recognized those yellow goggles and couldn't help but internally giggle. '_I wonder if he's using his worthless quirk on me.'_

"Tell me your name, and why you want to speak to me." It sounded more like a command than a request, but the frozen suspect shrugged. He could tell he was riling up the others, but he wasn't sure he wanted to try that with the famed quirk-eraser.

"Some people know me on the streets as Deku, maybe you've heard of my handiwork?" The answer seemed to both satisfy the older man's curiosity, but brought forth an annoyance. He didn't say anything, however, as he waited for Midoriya to answer the second half of his question. "Short answer, I'm bored. Long answer, I pissed off a lot of villains back at the League of Villains. I'm sure your information is very limited on the subject, and I'd be willing to trade."

He could see the pro contemplate this for a moment before pulling out a cell phone. He walked off to have a conversation, and the villain turned to the left, his attention back to Todoroki, who was watching him with a steely gaze. "This is fun and all, but do you mind unfreezing me?" When he got no response, he let out another annoyed sigh. "I bet you're real fun at parties."

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Bakugo approach him. His face was almost uncharacteristically soft, the angry expression present but it looked strained. His voice was low and quiet as he spoke. "Take off the mask."

"Well, you see, my hands are kinda tied-"

"Take off his fucking mask." He snapped at the boy on the other side of the villain. Todoroki nodded, moving to stand in front of Deku again, his thin fingers fiddling with the underside of the mask. The mask pulled up slightly in the front coming just up to his chin, but was stuck in the back. After a bit of 'no not that,' and 'ouch no, don't pull that,' the mask finally started coming loose. Todoroki felt his breath hitch slightly as he saw a hint of freckles under the mask before yanking it completely off. They stood there like that for a minute, Shoto looking utterly in shock, and the boy called Deku smiled up at him.

"Like I said, long time no see."

* * *

**A/N: I love me some sarcastic Deku. Leave me feedback on this story please!**


	3. Chapter 2

**'Sup.**

* * *

Shoto felt the breath knocked from his lungs as he stared into the eyes of the boy who had invaded his dreams not even 5 hours ago. He had a name to associate to that face now. He took in the other's appearance, which albeit, hasn't changed much in the years since he last saw him. His face was still youthful, and his dark green hair still messy, but much longer. The messy green locks curled slightly and covered his right eye. He even had the beginnings of a bruise forming on his cheek. He looked up at him with round green eyes, glinting with defiance. It was then that the reality of the situation came crashing into him in waves. He vaguely heard Bakugo shouting, yelling out a string of curses and comments before he hurriedly left, followed shortly by Kirishima. Finally finding the ability to breathe again, he breathlessly spoke the first thing on his mind. "You're a villain..."

"Well… not anymore. What you saw before was a bit of a misunderstanding. Lady was a prostitute who was _way_ too into men in costume." He shrugged, avoiding eye contact with the other. "I knew how it looked though."

"You didn't have to run. If you're not a villain, why go through the trouble of telling Eraser-Head you were?" Todoroki scowled, Deku's story didn't add up in the slightest.

"Well I am a villain to some extent. Still steal, still get into the occasional scuffle, petty things like that..." He watched the shorter male trail off, his eyes glancing at the floor of the roof. "...still affiliated myself with serial killers."

Before he could comment, Aizawa came back from his phone call, giving an affirmative nod. "They want to talk to him, so you can unfreeze him. I'll make sure he can't use whatever his quirk is to get away."

* * *

Izuku let out a nervous exhale, his leg bouncing at the extent of his anxiety. He was sat in a jail cell, the cuffs still on. Those students and Eraser-Head threw him in here while the police questioned Todoroki and Bakugo, no doubt questioning their affiliation with him, and more than likely looking up his information. He allowed the shadow of a smile ghost his lips, internally applauding himself. Though it was somewhat Kurogiri's idea to "update" his quirk status, it was he who came up with such an easy quirk to fake. '_At least all those years of watching quirks paid off…_' A loud clang echoed through the room, bouncing off the concrete walls. A tall plain looking man in a trench coat appeared in front of his cell door, the guard moving to unlock it. Izuku glanced up, giving the main a bored expression.

"They're ready to see you now." He spoke as the green haired apparent-villain stood and stretched his bound hands above his head. Izuku simply nodded in response, following the adult down the narrow hallway before the stopped at a secure metal door. After swiping an access card, a loud beep resounded and the door swung open. Stepping in, Midoriya first took note of how many heroes were sat at the long table. He instantaneously took note of President Mic, Eraser-Head, Cementoss, and… '_is that a fucking mouse?'_

"Ah, Izuku Midoriya, please take a seat." '_Did that thing just fucking TALK?'_ Izuku must've looked utterly bewildered, because the small animal-like creature let out a quiet sigh. "My name is Nezu, I'm the principal of U.A."

"I… see." The green haired boy muttered, plopping down in the chair at the end of the table. The detective sat in the chair to his right, while Eraser-Head sat to his left. A moment of silence passed, as the detective - apparently named Naomasa - covered a small list of crimes that have been linked to the alias "Deku."

"... all in all, he hasn't done any seriously violent crimes. His listed quirk doesn't seem that dangerous, and considering the circumstances of his capture, it almost seems that he wanted to be caught." Naomasa explained, as all the pros turned to watch Izuku carefully, waiting for an explanation. The youngest in the room swallowed hard, forcing himself to make eye contact which each and every person present in the room as he spoke.

"Yes, I did want to be captured. As I relayed to Eraser-Head and those kids that caught me, I pissed off a couple members at the League of Villains." Izuku took a deep breath, forcing his heart rate to calm. "Mainly a villain by the name of Shigaraki."

Some of the teachers nodded, recognizing the name. Eraser-Head, looking as apathetic as ever, just bore his eyes into Izuku. The detective smiled softly at the young villain, and if circumstances were different, Midoriya would've laughed at the opposing reactions. "It says here your quirk is named 'Reflex'; can you explain how it works?" A soft but cheery voice questioned from the other end of the table. The green eyed boy nodded, choosing his next words carefully as he recited his notes from memory.

"Basically my quirk allows my body to move on its own accord, without conscious thought. It helps in close quarters combat, but it's pretty useless otherwise except for sports." The answer seemed to satisfy many of those in the room, save for the men sitting directly next to him. The detective raised an eyebrow and scribbled something on his notepad, raising Izuku's nerves. He needed to divert everyone's attentions quickly. "Look, I know the League has plans against U.A. That's why I was in that area. I knew your students were patrolling, and I personally knew two of them. I didn't want any harm to befall them, and I knew I needed to get caught. I was about to approach the red haired one when the lady threw herself at me."

Naomasa looked up at Izuku's sudden mini-speech. Some of the teachers diverted their attention to the detective, waiting expectantly. The dark haired adult sighed, running a hand through his hair. "He's telling the truth, as far as I can tell. The statement about his quirk felt a bit off, but everything else he's saying has been truthful." He glanced at the boy, dark eyes searching for something. Whether he found it or not, he continued. "Normally, we'd lock you up, but your crimes are so petty in comparison to those normally associated with the League, I'm sure we could make out a deal of some sort. In exchange for information of course."

"I'd like to take this time to pipe in as well." Nezu chirped out, standing up on the table and walking over to the boy at the other end. The principal's black beady eyes seemed to burn into Izuku's soul for a moment before he turned to the others. "Regardless of whether you're given immunity for information, you'd be in danger, correct?"

"Y-Yes sir…" Midoriya choked out, his throat feeling tight. The teachers began muttering among themselves, while the detective scribbled in his notes some more before setting down his pen with a sigh.

"What are you proposing, Nezu?"

"You said that the statement about his quirk wasn't entirely true. Considering he would be a target and is still a menace to society, albeit a minor one, let us protect and rehabilitate him." Izuku almost choked on his own saliva at that. The intelligent mouse-like creature turned to look at the boy, his voice brought down to a more serious tone. "However, he'll have to wear a Quirk-Cancelling Collar."

"O-Of course, sir! Anything to ensure my safety!" The green haired boy was on the edge of his seat now. '_So close…'_

This seemed to please the principal, and a couple of the teachers seemed more at ease. One, however seemed to disagree with this entire development. "Are you sure that's wise, letting a villain into U.A. grounds?" Eraser-Head frowned, keeping his eyes trained on Izuku. Nezu turned to look at the Pro-Hero with a shockingly dark expression.

"If you're so nervous Aizawa, you can be in charge of watching him. I'll place him in your class's dorm building. It might be for the best anyway, considering that he knows a couple of your students already." An uncomfortable silence filled the room, only broken when Naomasa coughed before standing.

"I'll get the paperwork and have him fitted for a collar."

* * *

**A/N: I know the plot seems a bit rushed in this chapter, but this is a prologue fanfic. Let me be.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3, also unofficially named "It gets a little bit better from here on out"**

* * *

Izuku hissed as the thick cold metal was locked in place around his neck. It was somewhat heavy, but not unbearably so. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at the group sat in the waiting room of the police station. Aizawa, his new keeper, along with Todoroki, Kachaan, and the two others whose names he had yet to gather. He kept his eyes trained on the boy with the dual-coloured hair, however. '_He doesn't seem much different than he did back then… quiet, reserved… he even looks the same.' _He let out a soft sigh, the collar causing it to come out a bit shakier than he anticipated. He heard a small humming as it was turned on, but tuned it out almost immediately. Naomasa gave Izuku another one of his soft smiles as he went into the simplistics of how the collar functioned. "...you'll be able to get it wet, and it shouldn't activate unless you attempt to use your quirk. If you attempt to use your quirk for a prolonged period of time, it will notify us and we'll be alerted of your location. This will also occur should you attempt to remove it. This also isn't meant to be a subtle piece of equipment, so others will recognize you as a potential threat."

"Wouldn't that make me a target for criminals?" The messy haired boy deadpanned. Naomasa scratched the back of his head awkwardly, as though he was hoping this question wouldn't be asked.

"Yes and no. These collars are usually used for those on probation, and most people have their probationary officers accompany them if they plan on being out for a prolonged period of time. Since you're likely to spend a majority of your time on U.A. grounds, we figured you would be safe with the collar." The detective offered a brief smile. "Speaking of, we've done the service of contacting your mother. She's been briefed on your situation, and would like you to contact her as soon as you're settled. You're all set though, and you probably shouldn't keep your new friends waiting. Something tells me Eraser-Head might nip at your heels if you do."

Izuku nodded reluctantly, glancing briefly back at the police officer before the door opened to the waiting room and he stepped out. '_How the hell am I going to explain this to mom…?'_ His personal effects bundled in his hands before he thought crossed his mind. Scrambling to keep his items from falling on the floor - and failing miserably - he manages to get the jacket out of the bundle of things that managed to stay in his arms. Bakugo snickered at the boy's predicament, while the student with the glasses sighed, walking over to help Izuku pick his items up off the floor. The green haired boy muttered a brief 'thanks' before making his way over to Todoroki. Half of his stuff bundled in one arm, he held out the jacket with his free hand. "I know it's been a couple years, but I think this is your's. Sorry I didn't find you sooner."

Shoto didn't know what to say. Here, standing in front of him, was the boy who invaded his dreams for almost 3 years at this point. Round green eyes glittered and the boy's smile was so wide it seemed to almost eat his face. It took him a minute to register just what the boy said, and what he was handing him. Gingerly taking the item of clothing in his hands, all he could do was blink his mismatched eyes. "Um, thanks." He muttered, still unsure of what to say.

"No problem!" The smile was starting to look strained, as if it hurt. He was about to voice such concerns when another, louder voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Wow Deku, you kept a dude you didn't know's jacket for fucking _years_? That's kinda creepy." Bakugo snickered, an angry smirk ever-present. Shoto kept his eyes trained on 'Deku,' watching as the smile fell into despair before a glint shone in those deep green irises as they turned their attention to the blonde.

"Wow Kachaan, still bullying the weak after fucking _years_? That's kinda pathetic." The shorter bit back, causing Shoto to raise an eyebrow. Beyond the attitude and venom in Deku's voice, however, he could hear a small waver. '_...is he afraid under that facade?'_

"WHAT DID YOU SAY YOU PUNK?! YA LOOKIN' TO GET YOUR ASS KICKED?!" He heard Kirishima groan, and Aizawa scold the boy, but he could care less. He just kept his eyes on Deku, watching the emotions swirling around in those eyes.

"Come on Midoriya, we'll get you settled in the dorms. Let's leave the introductions and tour of the facility for tomorrow morning." The teacher spoke, already heading out the door with a tight grip on Bakugo's shoulder. Shoto watched the others pile out the door, following behind them as they began their way to the train station. He walked shoulder to shoulder with Midoriya, feeling a bit of nostalgia overwash him.

"Izuku Midoriya." A small voice uttered next to him, breaking their comfortable silence. Shoto turned his head at this, looking down at the shorter boy. He raked his eyes over the boy's appearance. His thick fluffy green hair was sticking up in every direction, his wide bright green eyes seemed to burn holes into the sidewalk as they walked. He seemed petite under the bagginess of the plain grey sweatpants and hoodie the police department gave him, but not sickeningly so. He was the same height as when they first met, and his face still yielded a youthful glow. Shoto felt his hands grow clammy, so he shoved them in his pockets and averted his gaze directly ahead of them, watching the others walking ahead of them.

"Shoto Todoroki."

* * *

Upon entering the gates of U.A., Izuku could already feel judgemental eyes burning into him from the students that hung outside. The sun was beginning to set, a slew of orange and pink tints overtaking the sky. Nezu and a vaguely familiar thin blonde man was waiting to greet the group in front of the main building. But he wasn't focused on them, he was focused on the small crowds muttering nearby.

"_What's with that kid?"_

"_Dude, is that a Quirk-Cancelling Collar?"_

"_Surely not, they wouldn't let a criminal in here!"_

Even though their words were hushed, Izuku could hear them clear as day; the mutterings burned his ears. He lowered his head, letting his hair fall in front of his eyes before he felt a heavy arm wrap around his shoulders. A glance out of the corner of his eye revealed that Todoroki was the culprit, the boy keeping his mismatched eyes trained on the other students as they continued to approach the main building.

"_No way, if he's a criminal he wouldn't be buddy-buddy with Endeavor's kid."_

"_You never know dude!"_

The group's words seemed to drown out now, only registering in Izuku's mind as light buzz behind them. He kept an eye trained on the boy who had his arm around his shoulder, his expression hidden from the others, he allowed his suspicions to show slightly. His thoughts were broken, however, when a cheery voice greeted them. "Welcome back! I thought I'd personally see to it that you were settled into a dorm, and your situation was told in brief to your roommates." The mammal gestured to the man next to him. "This is Toshinori Yagi, All-Might's personal secretary. He's here in his stead."

It was then that Izuku raised his head to meet sunken bright blue eyes and felt his breath hitch in his throat. The blonde seemed to recognize him as well, his jaw dropping slightly. The emerald-eyed boy doubled over, allowing Todoroki's arm to fall back at his side as the shorter of the two choked on his own breath. Next to them, Aizawa tsk'd and Bakugo chuckled at the other's predicament. "Are you alright young Midoriya?"

He snapped his attention back up to the thin man in front of him, allowing their eyes to lock. A moment of heavy silence past before Izuku waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, I'm fine…" he chose his next words carefully, "...you just look like someone I knew."

The adult kept his eyes trained on him as Nezu spoke behind them. "Oh, have you two met before?" The question was so simple but both men knew the severity of it. Izuku felt the ember of spite spark in his chest, and letting out a huff he answered the principal before Toshinori had a chance to open his mouth.

"I met his boss." He heard a boisterous laugh to his left, no doubt coming from Bakugo, but didn't take his eyes away from Toshinori. If looks could kill, the retired Symbol of Peace would be dead 3 times over.

"Like fucking hell you met All-Might-"

"He told me there's no way a loser like me could become a hero." Izuku spat, glaring over at Bakugo before returning his gaze to man in front of him. He knew those weren't All-Might's exact words, but that's how he took them. For a moment, there was a silent stand-off of wills before Toshinori let out a sigh, running a hand through his messy blonde locks.

"I'm sorry, kid."

The reply was so quiet that he almost didn't even hear it. He felt the rage die a little in his chest, and simply gave a shrug in response. He may be upset, but there's no way he's going to just give up the man's cover. The redhead - whose name, he learned, is Kirishima - let out a cough. That seemed to shake everyone's attentions away from the tension hovering above them. Nezu launched into a small speech about the rules of U.A., but Izuku couldn't bother to listen to him. As they neared the dorm building he'd be staying at, he finally cleared his thoughts enough to allow him to hear what the principal was saying. "The female student's dorms are kept on the 2nd floor, and the boy's dorms are above that, taking up the 3rd and 4th floor. We do have elevator and stairway surveillance." The green haired boy may have appeared bored to the untrained eye, but anyone who knew him could see his eyes were glittering with excitement. "Our students usually know better, but we had to expel a student a year ago for breaking into the girl's dorm rooms." He heard an unfamiliar stifled snicker behind him, which Izuku _totally_ didn't jump at. Turning around revealed a young man, a bit taller than him with blonde hair (save for an odd black streak, resembling a lightning bolt), dressed in U.A.'s gym clothes.

"R.I.P. Mineta." The boy murmured before holding out a hand to Izuku, slinging a white towel over his shoulder with his other hand. "Hey dude! You new here or something? I'm Kaminari."

Izuku wasn't sure what exactly to do at first, he just stared into the boy's golden eyes before taking the boys hand in one of his own scarred palms. He noted that the boy had a weak handshake, which more than likely eluded to weak close-combat prowess. Another look at Kaminari's face had a smile gracing his face. The boy's seemed to be contagious. "My name is Izuku Midoriya, my enemies call me Deku."

"Midoriya it is then!"

Before Bakugo could begin to bite back a remark, he heard Nezu from behind him. "Well, I can see you're making friends here already! Now, you don't need to attend any classes, in fact, we'd recommend staying in the dorms for your first couple days here to allow your roommates to become accustomed to your presence. After that, you may feel free to roam the outdoor section of the campus as long as you have supervision. We put you in room 344; there's some basic furniture and a monitored cell phone, so you may contact your mother." The mammalian creature chirped, prompting Izuku to nod with understanding as Toshinori handed him a keycard. "Furthermore, we provided you with a school uniform, so our other students still feel secure within our walls."

The green haired boy muttered a quiet 'thanks' as the three adults spoke to the other students, parting soon after. As soon as they left, the tension from earlier returned. The air around him tasted stale and thick, and the silence was sickening. It was Kaminari who eventually broken the quiet, clearing his throat. "Well dude, I think I'll take the initiative and introduce Midoriya here to home sweet home."

* * *

"Whoa, this place is huge!" Izuku exclaimed upon entering the dorms. To the right of the entrance elevator, there was a couple couches and a flatscreen TV built into the wall. Behind the seating area was a spacious kitchen with an island, bar-stools tucked underneath the counter. To his left, there was a line of doors and a staircase leading up to another landing lined with more doors. It was unlike anything the green haired boy had ever seen before, but to his dismay, a group of people sat on the couch took notice of him.

"A visitor?" A calm voice questioned, prompting Izuku to make eye contact with a… eagle-headed boy? Green eyes blinked a couple times before he choked down a surprised noise threatening to emerge from his throat. He felt a hand grip his shoulder gently, squeezing ever-so-comfortingly before Kaminari stood next to him, addressing the strange boy sat on a loveseat.

"Yo Tokoyami, this is the transfer that the principal spoke to us about a little while ago."

"_That's_ the villain?" A black haired boy with weirdly shaped elbows piped in. Izuku felt his face burn in shame, pushing his way past the others. Not saying a word, he made his way past the sofas to where the unfamiliar male students sat laxly. Letting out a shaky exhale, he leaned down over the boy who dared to insult him, giving a small smile as his round eyes glinted in the soft lighting.

"Call me that again, and you'll be grateful I'm wearing this collar." He watched as the others tensed, and a heavy quilt of silence draped over the room. They stayed like this until Izuku felt a sharp pain on the back of his head.

"Tch, lookin' for a fight already, Deku?" Bakugo spat at the boy, bringing his hand up to activate his quirk. "Then why not fight me?"

Izuku held his breath, readying his body for a confrontation. The sound of hurried movement filled the room as Kirishima and Iida pulled Bakugo away from the viridescent-eyed boy, Todoroki and Kaminari standing between them. "Let's not start fights on our first day with Midoriya here, alright? It wouldn't be manly." The redhead muttered to the blonde, patting the other's hair lightly.

"Kaminari, Todoroki, why don't you take Midoriya to his dorm room?" Iida muttered, struggling to keep his grip on a thrashing Bakugo. The others nodded, leading the short boy up the staircase.

* * *

Izuku let out a sigh, falling into the plush mattress. Pulling the comforter over his shoulders, he shivered slightly. '_Everything here is so different from there...'_ He frowned, his thoughts beginning to spiral a bit. He was so consumed in his own mind that he almost didn't register the knock at the balcony door. Startling slightly, he made his way to the sliding glass door. There, Kaminari stood proudly in his pajamas. After the moment of shock passed, the freckled boy yanked open the door. The smile faded from the yellow haired boy's face as an almost eerily serious expression took over.

"It's about time we had some alone time, wouldn't you agree Izuku?"

* * *

**A/N: Because honestly fuck Mineta, creepy midget.**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Italicized font in this is referencing a flashback** **sequence.**

Shoto palmed the sleep away from his eyes before glancing out the window. There wasn't a hint of sunlight yet, and a glance at the clock confirmed his suspicions. It read 4:38, and a thick groan weaseled its way out of his throat. Throwing off his comforter, he felt the dryness in his throat and made his way to his dorm-room entrance. Slowly opening it as to not make too much noise, he made his way down the stairs. Keeping his eyes down as to avoid tripping in his half-asleep state, a glance up made him startle just a tad. There on one of the black sofas, sat Midoriya. The poor boy looked absolutely wrecked with exhaustion, and his head lolled lazily onto his shoulder before he snapped it back up. His long green hair was pulled into a bun, and his eyes had dark circles under them. He glanced down at the thick metal collar around the other's throat before clearing his own as to make his presence known. He made his way into the kitchen just as the green haired boy looked up at him. Bringing two glasses of water back into the sitting area, he set one on the table in front of the older boy who took it gratefully. They sat in silence like that, acknowledged in one another's presence, but enjoying the quiet.

Eventually, it was Izuku who relented. "So… what're you doing up so early?" He stammered awkwardly, making it a point not the look at the boy next to him. Shoto took a sip of his water, almost dejected that the tranquility had been disturbed but a part of him wanted to indulge in conversation with the boy.

"Woke up." He gave a brief but honest answer, turning his body slightly to look at the boy next to him. The other seemed to accept this answer, but began muttering as a way to fill the silence. Shoto couldn't tell exactly what the rambling was about, but something was nagging at the back of his head. He set his water down on the table and placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "Hey," he began,

I have to know… why did you become a villain?" He wasn't prepared for the heavy sigh that followed his question. The boy's face had softened and took on a serious expression, making him appear much older than he was. Izuku finally turned his body towards him slightly, but kept his eyes trained on the leather material of the sofa.

"Honestly… it started out as a childish way of acting out. I was pissed at being… _rejected_ by someone I looked up to for so long. My activities... they caught the attention of a pretty big name in the community…" Midoriya began, trudging up memories.

* * *

_He laughed as he turned the corner, the shopkeeper waving an angry fist. His backpack now full of cheap booze, he sprinted into a familiar park. Quickly climbing a nearby tree, he avoided the sights of the man who took chase. After a few minutes of fruitless searching the old man left, a bit dejected. _

_It was then that he heard a chuckle under him. A glance down revealed an unfamiliar man with light blue hair leaning against the tree. He wore a black hoodie, his hands wrapped in bandages. "Nice work, kid."_

_Izuku jumped down, and moved to stand in front of the guy. "You stalking me or something?" He huffed, a bit annoyed. He had seen the same man a few times out of the corner of his eye, always as he was out having his fun. The man hummed quietly, lifting his head slightly to make eye contact with the green haired adolescent. It was then that Izuku saw his dry scarred skin and his deep red eyes._

"_Not precisely, but I have taken notice of you. You're fast, and I can tell you're more intelligent than those whose things you take." He held out a scrappy piece of paper with something scribbled on it. "My name is Shigaraki. Come to this location if you want a real job."_

_When Izuku had come home that night, he pushed his way past his annoyingly clingy mother and slammed the bedroom door shut. His room was covered in villain enthusiast posters, and all of his furniture had gotten darker over the years. He had boxed up all of his All-Might merch and sold it for a hefty price, which fed his new acquired taste for things like alcohol and concerts. He took a glance down at the paper that weirdo had given him earlier. Taking a cigarette out of his pocket and taking a deep inhale, he chuckled darkly. "Fuck it, why not."_

* * *

When Izuku finished telling the memory in brief to the boy sitting next to him, he finally found the courage to glance up. Todoroki was still there, and his expression hadn't changed in the slightest. "I see, so you were rebelling." Shoto could understand that, he did something similar by withholding using half of his quirk just to spite his father. "How did you piss off Shigaraki?"

"Well… that takes some more explaining. See, from the ages of 14-16 I just did small things for them. Stole booze for the bar to sell to other villains, was a lookout, did some scouting… nothing major." He paused, trying to choose his next words carefully. "It was when I turned 17 that they wanted me to take things to the next level." Shouto wouldn't admit it, but that sent a small shiver down his spine.

"_You want me to what?!" Izuku shouted, slamming the palm of his hand onto the bar counter. Kurogiri continued to wipe the glass mug clean, completely unphased by the outburst and remained completely silent. Shigaraki tilted his head and repeated his phrase._

"_We need a target dead. Dabi had to fall of the grid for a bit. Do this for us, and you'll rise in our ranks." Izuku opened his mouth to protest, but Shigaraki held up a hand to pause his thought. "It's either that, or we have another recon job for you. It might be to complex, but I'm confident you'd be able to handle it."_

Shoto nodded, but frowned slightly. Izuku looked increasingly uncomfortable as he spoke, the most recent memory causing the light hairs on his arms to rise. Still he pressed for more answers, his curiosity not entirely satisfied. "So what did you end up doing?"

"I told him to go fuck himself." The green haired boy snorted, stretching his arms as he stood. He didn't like how much the heterochromatic boy was interrogating him, but before he had the chance to excuse himself back to his mostly empty dorm room, the other spoke again.

"Who's Dabi?"

Izuku visibly froze, his face contorted in several emotions. Todoroki almost regretted asking the innocent question, but before he could apologize he was given a brief answer. It was so quiet he almost didn't hear it, and if he knew better he would've thought he was hearing things. "The only reason I regret leaving." The older of the two wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, and opted not to press the matter further.

"I'm sorry." Was all he gave, making no move to stand as Izuku shrugged and headed back towards the staircase. The other muttered something about going back to bed, taking the stairs two at a time just as a door opened at the top. Tokoyami walked out of his dorm room and almost ran square into the green haired boy.

"Ah, Midoriya. I wanted to apologize for earlier this evening. Many of us weren't sure how to react, and I hope you won't hold it against us." The eagle-headed boy spoke calmly, leaning comfortably against the wall. Izuku paused, a bit surprised at the stranger's musings. When the other didn't respond, he continued, holding out a hand as a gesture of peace. "We got off on the wrong foot. My name is Fumikage Tokoyami."

"Izuku Midoriya, it probably didn't help that I threatened you guys." He took the hand, giving a brief shake before shoving his hands into the pockets of his black pajama pants. The other nodded, but didn't seem too bothered by the remembrance of Izuku's earlier threat. "I'm headed to bed now, I'll apologize to everyone else tomorrow." He muttered, not giving the other the chance to respond as he moved past him. When he made his way to his dorm he glanced at the one a few doors to the right of his. He recalled his confrontation with Kaminari just a few hours earlier.

* * *

"_It's about time we had some alone time, wouldn't you agree Izuku?" Kaminari strolled into his room as if he owned the place. The boy paused, an unfitting serious expression on both of their faces. Turning around, Kaminari seemed to stared down Midoriya as he firmly planted his hands into his pockets. "I heard Shigaraki kicked you to the curb. But the thing is, that's not something he really does."_

"_You're right, I ran away." His body was frozen in place, and he knew if the other were to attack him right now he'd be completely defenseless. The other hummed at his response, almost disbelieving._

"_When I was 14, I worked a bit with them. Shigaraki needed an inside man in U.A. I was the perfect candidate, nobody would think to look at the perverted idiot, right?" His golden eyes seemed to glow in the dark room, seemingly burning a hole into Izuku's skin. "But I got wise and left them for real, and none were the wiser. My only hope is that you'll come to appreciate these people the same way I did."_

* * *

Izuku shook his head from the memory, and opened his door. He knew what the blonde boy was attempting to do, and he wouldn't let it get to him. Sitting down on his bed, he bit his lip nervously. He regretted lying to Todoroki earlier, he really did. But in some small way he knew he would regret the look of disappointment on Shigaraki and Dabi's faces more.

* * *

"_It's either that, or we have another recon job for you. It might be to complex, but I'm confident you'd be able to handle it."_

"_Fine, send me the details later. I need a shower."_

**A/N: Lol like 90% of this was flashbacks.**


	6. Chapter 5

_He let out a longing sigh, clad in nothing but his boxers and one of Dabi's hoodies, he sat down on one of the barstools in the empty room. Kurogiri was standing there as always, holding a cloth and a dirty glass. He swore this guy never slept. "Are you nervous?" He addressed Izuku, making no comment about the younger's wardrobe. He hummed in response, raising a hand to signal for a drink. The warp-gate villain complied, handing him a bottle of cold beer. _

"_It's more that I'm reflecting on the irony of the situation." He murmured, taking a sip of the bitter tasting liquid. He sighed, and welcomed the warmth it brought to his stomach, however. "I've always wanted to go to U.A., and now I am. Just not in the way I thought, I suppose..." he paused again,_

_It will also be hard to be away from everyone." A ghosted smile graced his lips, and the other let out a distorted hum._

"_We'll have someone find a way to communicate with you."_

* * *

Blinking the sleep away, he clutched the blankets tightly around himself. It had been five days since he started living in the U.A. dorm rooms, and he had done his best to stay out of everyone's way. The last he spoke in lengths to any of the students was the apology he gave for threatening them on his first day here. Kaminari still gave him wary looks that only he seemed to notice, and Kirishima was trying his best to be friendly towards him. A majority of the time he was outside his room was spent staying out of Bakugo's eyesight, as the other kept trying to pick fights with him. Bringing a cold hand up to his neck, he let his fingertips run gently along the metal. He avoided Todoroki ever since the night he revealed just a bit too much about his relationships with the villains.

As the days went on, however, he found himself accustomed to his new lifestyle. The others tried their best to play nice, save for Kaminari and Bakugo. Tokoyami seemed to catch on that Izuku wanted space, and he was grateful for that. As it stood, he was quickly becoming one of the green haired boy's favorites. Letting out a sigh, he brought the sleeve of the plain black hoodie he was wearing under Todoroki's jacket the day he got caught to his face. A slight inhale brought Dabi's smell back to him and calmed his nerves. The older male had always smelled like ashes and scotch, an odd yet alluring scent. If he could, he would stay in bed all day like this. But he knew better than that, and reluctantly dragged himself out of bed to his personal bathroom. All of the dorm rooms had a small bathroom accompanied with the basics. Turning the shower knob to scalding, he let the small droplets sting his skin. His skin was littered in small scars, mainly gathered as a child, but his arms were another story. Those scars were gained through villain work, mainly when he got caught doing recon. He was thin, but slightly toned over the years of hopping over rooftops and sprinting down alleys. Letting the suds soak into his scalp, he contemplated for a moment. His hair _was_ getting a little long for hand-to-hand combat, and it was more than a little annoying to deal with it. The only reason he kept it long in the first place was because Dabi liked it that way. Shutting off the shower, he stepped onto the towel and dried his body, almost glowing pink from the heat of the water. During his ministrations, however, he paused. '_I won't see him for months though, right? I might as well cut it…'_

Moving in front of the mirror, he looked at the long wet strands falling in front of his face. Opening the medicine cabinet revealed empty shelves, save for toothpaste and a hairbrush. An annoyed sigh echoed on the white tiles, and he shut the cabinet in a huff. '_Of course they wouldn't give a villain scissors, dumbass.'_ Making his way into his room, he opened the top drawer of the wood dresser near the foot of his bed. Taking out the grey student's uniform he had yet to wear, he unceremoniously tossed it onto the bed. Slowly dressing, he considered who he would ask to help him cut his hair. He hadn't met any of the female students yet, but something told him it wouldn't be wise to sneak down to their dorms. Tokoyami didn't have hair, let alone a human head. Bakugo was out of the question, as was Kaminari. He found himself more anxious than normal around Todoroki, so it'd be best to continue avoiding him for now. A lightbulb went off in his head, and he grinned, latching the top button to the student jacket. It was almost noon, and he knew for a fact the student he was looking for came back to the dorms for lunch. Closing his door behind him, he made his way down to the sitting area. Letting his hair air dry, he almost fell back asleep on the couch while waiting. When he heard the elevator beep, the threat of sleep was torn from his eyes.

Bakugo, Todoroki, Kirishima, and Iida walked through the elevator doors as they opened. Bakugo was yelling at the heterochromatic boy about something, while the other just gave sarcastic retorts in response. They all paused when Izuku approached them, however. He didn't acknowledge the others as he silently placed his fingers around Kirishima's wrist, giving a gentle tug. He was somewhat embarrassed at his own behavior, but he _really_ didn't want to acknowledge the others. Seemingly getting the message, the redhead followed him blindly. He led Kirishima to the boy's own dorm room on the first floor, gesturing for the other to unlock his door. The other looked puzzled, but swiped his keycard and stepped aside to let the green haired boy in. Izuku bit his lip nervously, observing the other's bedroom. It was covered in posters, but it was cleaner than he would've expected. Finally relenting before the other could speak, he made eye contact with the scarlet eyed boy. He couldn't help the pleading tone in his voice, or how ridiculously annoyed his expression must've looked as he spoke. "_Pleeeease_ cut my hair." The other blinked a couple times in shock before letting out a loud laugh.

"_What?_"

"I can't take it anymore and they won't let me have scissors." Izuku explained shaking his fingers through his thick locks as if to emphasize his annoyance. Kirishima let out a breathy chuckle but beckoned for the other to follow him into the bathroom. "I noticed you dye your hair so I figured you probably knew how to cut it too." He mused, sitting on the edge of the tub at the other's silent request.

"You'd be correct. How short are we talking?" The other grinned, showing off his sharp teeth. It was almost like his mouth was made entirely of canines. Izuku thought for a moment, pulling out a ratty old wallet with a couple pictures he kept folded up in it. There was a photo of him when he first joined the League, Kurogiri had insisted that he spend a day out with a few of the villains doing normal activities to get him accustomed to their personalities. Shigaraki, Dabi, Toga, and him went to a mall for the day. The blonde girl had piled them all into one of those old fashioned photo-booths, much to Shigaraki's dismay. He pulled the photo he had chosen from the bunch out of his wallet. Toga was laughing maniacally, Shigaraki was flipping her off, Dabi was sitting next to Izuku with a bored expression, and he was in the middle smiling, completely oblivious to the other's shenanigans behind them. It was honestly his favorite picture of them all together, and he felt a tug at his heartstrings. He almost felt homesick at this point. Carefully handing the photo to Kirishima, it took all of his willpower to hold back the emotion threatening to rear its head.

* * *

Todoroki sat on the sofa next to Bakugo, who was flipping through his Netflix profile. Each team pitched in for their own form of entertainment, and if they asked nicely, they could use one another's accounts. Their team had Netflix, Tokoyami's had Hulu, etc. He turned his gaze on the blonde boy next to him, watching his calm expression as he flipped through the action movie section. It was times like now that he remembered how different the other was since their first year. The blonde's explosive anger had diminished for the most part, but has been increasing in frequency since Izuku's capture.

As if on cue, the quiet patter of footsteps resounded. Without taking his eyes off the screen, Bakugo opened his mouth to acknowledge Kirishima. "You never came back to class. I copied some notes for you." Shoto turned his attention to the short boy that entered their vision. His breath hitched in his throat when he looked up.

There, stood next to an ever-smiling Kirishima was Izuku, looking just like he did all those years ago. His hair was shorter and fluffy, but still framed his face nicely. Next to him, Bakugo froze slightly but didn't say anything. The viridescent eyed boy smiled sheepishly, shifting his weight uncomfortably. Todoroki realized he must've been looking for affirmation of sorts, and nodded his head. "It looks good." It was a brief, honest answer but made the other's tense muscles relax ever so slightly. The blonde at the other end of the couch muttered something similar, and went back to flipping through movies. Midoriya took the initiative to sit next to the dual quirk user, and the redhead sat between Izuku and Katsuki.

"Let's watch that new action show they just added!" Kirishima grinned, gesturing at the television. "It's based off of some old comics from before quirks showed up! It follows this dark hero without any powers, and it seems like an interesting concept." Next to him, Bakugo snorted but clicked on the show's preview page. He turned his gaze to Izuku, who had visibly tensed at the suggestion. Deciding to press the matter a bit, he decided to add to the tension.

"Yeah, a quirkless hero. Definitely an interesting concept, but you know what would really be cool?" He gestured the question to the redhead, but he kept his eyes trained on Izuku, who was making it a point to stare anywhere but him. "A quirkless villain."

He didn't dare move. He knew what Katsuki was doing, and he knew his best bet was to blatantly ignore him. Trying his best to steady his breathing, he felt the muscles in his arms spasm with panic. Next to him, Kirishima gushed at the prospect of two quirkless rivals duking it out. He stared down the television screen before a surge of confidence filled his gut, threatening to alight. "You know what would really be cool?" Everyone paused, turning their attention to him. "If you shut the fuck up and turned something on." There was a brief silence, but Bakugo soon filled it with a loud laugh, causing the two other heroes on the sofa to stare him down.

"Wow, those villains really did a number on you. The Deku I knew would _never _swear like that!" He chuckled, genuinely amused at the other's antics. Todoroki glanced at Izuku, who seemed surprised at the other's reaction. Kirishima hummed, completely unphased.

"That reminds me, I've been meaning to ask…" He paused, waiting till everyone's attention was on him. "Where did the nickname Deku come from?" Silence followed, and Bakugo's face flushed a bit. A heavy sigh from Izuku filled the quiet, and he ran his hand through his hair.

"It's an abbreviation for **De**fenseless Izu**ku**." The green haired boy finally answered, gaining only more silence in response. A solid minute of silence had passed before Todoroki was the first to speak.

"Why would you call yourself that?"

"He didn't, I did." Katsuki finally relented, earning a scoff from the two redheads. Izuku kept his eyes trained on the coffee table in front of them, focused on not meeting the eyes of anyone else. "Midoriya developed his quirk late, so I gave him a hard time for it. That's all." He muttered, clicking a button on the remote to turn on the show they were discussing minutes before. Ten minutes into the show, however, the shortest of the group stood muttered something about showering before heading up the stairs.

* * *

Turning on the water to fill the shallow tub in his private bathroom, he shed the student uniform he had put on for kicks a few hours before. Dropping some soap into the water, he watched momentarily as the bubbles began to spread over the surface. Tying a towel around his hips and stepping back into his room, he swiped the monitored cell phone off his empty desk, checking the time. The bright white text read 11:38 p.m., and he let out an exhausted sigh. The light knocking of glass sounded from his balcony, and Izuku was almost annoyed. Thinking it was Kaminari he turned his annoyed gaze to the glass doors, but dropped the phone in shock. There on the other side of the glass was Dabi, disguised in a grey uniform with a black hoodie thrown over it. He had the hood drawn up to help hide his appearance, which more than certainly would've caught the attention of any passerbys. Almost tripping over his own feet, he yanked open the door and threw his pale arms over the taller male. He almost choked out a sob, but he knew better than to show weakness. "I'm sorry it took so long to check in on you." The other murmured in that deep and calm voice, pressing his face into Izuku's fluffy locks. It was then that he took notice. "...You cut your hair."

The boy looked up at him with wide verdant eyes, his mouth moving without making noise before he relented. "Yeah… I didn't know when I'd see you again." He admitted sheepishly, earning an annoyed tsk. "Sorry…" Dabi shrugged nonchalantly, entering the mostly empty dorm room. They stood there in silence for a moment, until it was the older to give in, embracing the other.

"You'll be eighteen this summer. You can leave your mother's house and live with me, if you'd like." Izuku knew what the other was asking, even if it went unsaid between them. They hadn't taken their relationship to a romantic level yet, but he wouldn't deny the bond they had. They may be villains, but there was a line they both refused to cross. "I missed you." He ruffled the boy's now short hair, wrapping his arms around the other's smaller frame. They stayed like this until a quiet knock startled them both from their positions. Dabi gave the green eyed boy a wary look and gestured for him to answer the door. Izuku complied, careful to only open the door a crack.

"Todoroki? Can I help you with something?" He felt Dabi tense behind him, and felt fingers tighten around his left wrist. The skin underneath the villain's grasp grew hotter and hotter, and with a start he realized what the other was doing. The older male was using his quirk to keep him from saying anything stupid. Izuku kept his green eyes trained on the heterochromatic boy, careful not to let the pain show on his face.

"I thought I heard talking, are you okay?" Right, Todoroki's room was right next to his, at the end of the hallway. Midoriya felt the heat leave his wrist, and caught the ever so slight noise of distortion before he felt nothing but cold air on his back. '_Kurogiri warped him out, good.'_

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine just getting ready to take a bath." He raised his left hand on the towel around his waist to prevent it from falling. Bad idea, he bit back a pained hiss threatening to seep from his throat, bit failed to hide the wince that followed. Shoto narrowed his eyes and pushed open the barrier separating them open. Stepping into the room, his eyes fell on the open balcony door, and the cold wind blowing in through it. He glanced suspiciously back at the boy, his facing heating up slightly at the lack of clothing on the other's part. What caught his attention though, was Izuku's attempt to hide his left arm behind him. Making his way to the green haired boy, he placed a gentle hand on his upper arm.

"What aren't you telling me?" He asked, keeping his voice monotone but soft. The elder of the two sighed, allowing Shouto to lift his arm from behind his back. His two-toned eyes landed on the burn circled around his wrist, and his heart almost lurched into his throat. "Midoriya, who was in here?" He asked pointedly, bringing his gaze back up to the boy's.

The other looked as though he was on the verge of tears, his face contorted in pain. He shook his head in response at first, but when he felt the soft fingers wrap gently around his burning skin, he relented. "Dabi… he missed me." He choked out, the hot tears finally spilling onto his freckles cheeks. He leaned forward and let his head rest on Shoto's chest, the fingers on his wrist got progressively colder. He was cooling Izuku's wound, which cause the boy's chest to swell gratefully.

Todoroki didn't say anything at first, simply stood there and let the boy cry. Eventually though, he knew he'd have to tell the others what happened, and alert the teachers about the villain's infiltration. "Midoriya, get some rest. Your wound isn't too bad, we'll go see Recovery Girl in the morning, alright?" The other nodded in response, and reluctantly pulled away from the contact the two shared. Giving a brief goodnight, Shoto shut the door to dorm room behind him and made his way downstairs. Kirishima and Katsuki were sat on the sofa cuddled up to one another, and Tokoyami had joined their binging of action movies sometime after the dual-quirk user had went upstairs. "We have a problem regarding Midoriya," he began slowly, gaining everyone's attention.

There's a villain that he refers to as Dabi, who not to long ago managed to get into his room." The three hero course students stood, seemingly ready for battle, but sat down again at Todoroki's gesture. "He's already left as far as I could tell, but he… burned Midoriya's wrist pretty badly."

"Tch, some boyfriend Deku's got." Bakugo growled, shutting up after Kirishima gave his arm a slight slap. He turned his attention back to Todoroki, standing once again. "Guess we should notify someone, huh?"

"Yeah, man… if a villain got in here so easily…" Kirishima trailed off his thought, but the it stuck with the others. They stood in silence for a moment, before he ran a hand through his hair. "We're in charge of him, we'll go tell Nezu and Aizawa." Todoroki nodded in response, turning his attention to the eagle-headed boy who up till now has remained silent.

"Do you think you could keep an eye out until we get back?" Tokoyami nodded in response as the other three made their way over to the elevator. The ride down was silent, nobody dared to say anything. Making their way to the main building, they walked down the dark empty hallways, finally stopping in front of the principal's door. After a careful knock, the door opened to reveal the small mammalian creature, who beckoned them inside.

"Aizawa's team. What can I do for you?" He sat down at his desk and watched as the others fidgeted. Todoroki took the initiative, clearing his throat and stepped in front of the other two.

"It's about Izuku Midoriya."


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Warnings: There's some vomit.**

* * *

Izuku woke drenched in a cold sweat, his muscles spasming with panic. Running a hand through his thick damp hair, he almost jumped when he looked out the corner of his eye. There, sat at his mostly empty desk, was the heterochromatic boy who forcibly entered his room just a couple hours earlier. He had a thick book in one hand and a pencil in the other. Sitting up, Izuku set his feet on the cold dark hardwood floor. As quietly as possible he crossed the room and into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. If the other didn't hear him wake up he would've heard the door shut. After relieving himself he picked up his toothbrush, lazily running the bristles over his teeth as he stared blankly into the mirror. It was then that he noticed the white gauze wrapped around his left wrist, and the memory of last night resurfaced. He froze, his breathing paused as he stared at his wide-eyed reflection. '_I sold out Dabi…'_ His anxiety began spiking as the toothbrush fell from his mouth, clattering into the sink's bowl. '_I… sold out Dabi…'_ The words repeated over and over until it was the only thing in his mind. His back gently hit the drywall, and he felt the overwhelming sensation of sickness take him. Taking a step forward before falling to his knees, he leaned over the toilet and retched loudly. His body shook weakly as the goosebumps covered his arms and shiver ran down his spine. Ignoring the quiet knocks at the door, he coughed before retching again. Tears streamed down his nose, falling into the tainted water. Pushing the handle to clear away the evidence of his sickness, he pushed himself back against the adjacent wall. The knocking had stopped, and instead the door handle turned slowly. Izuku didn't bother to look up at the entrance, mainly out of shame. Shoto entered the room and leaned against the sink counter, looking over the other from a distance in case he needed to throw up again. "Are you okay?"

It was a fair question, surely. But it was one Izuku couldn't bring himself to answer. Mostly because he was too busy focusing on not being sick again, but also out of mistrust. '_Is it really mistrust though?'_ He thought absently, taking a chance at glancing up to match the other's steely gaze. '_I've trusted this stranger with too many things. Why?' _His thoughts raced, and he felt his stomach acid boiling again. With a groan he got on his hands and knees and waited for a moment. When nothing came up he sat back on his knees, his body still spasming but calmer than it was before. "I don't know why I trust you." He spoke out loud, his quiet voice threatening to crack from emotion. The other said nothing, but kneeled down to his level. Izuku didn't know how to continue, so he didn't. They sat in silence until the green haired boy felt it was safe enough to stand again, and moved to grab the toothbrush out of the sink again. After piling on more toothpaste than he would normally use and sticking the piece of plastic in his mouth, Shoto left the bathroom, politely closing the door behind him.

From the other side of the door, the younger boy made his way back to the desk he had been sat at for the past few hours. Ever since they got back from Nezu's office, he stayed in that one spot save for the occasional bathroom break. Glancing down at the books and papers scattered across the desk, his eyes landed on the keycard he was given.

* * *

"_I see… I'll notify the other teachers, and we'll need to interrogate Mr. Midoriya some more on this Dabi figure." The mammal mused, taking a sip of his tea. They were all sat on the sofas in his office, Bakugo and Kirishima remaining mostly quiet save for the few quips. "So far he's given us extensive information regarding a Tomura Shigaraki and Himiko Toga, and a few vague details about a villain called Kurogiri. No mention of a Dabi, however."_

"_He seems to have some sort of fire related quirk, if that's helpful." Shoto spoke, referencing Izuku's minor injury. The principal nodded, seemingly making a note of the information._

"_Tell me, how is he getting along with everyone?" Nezu inquired, his cheery expression faltering slightly at Bakugo's snort and Todoroki's aloof gaze. Kirishima noticed the others reluctance to answer the question, so he decided now would be a useful time to pipe up._

"_Well, he's been avoiding everyone for the most part. Bakugo in particular, but yesterday he willingly came up to me. He asked me to cut his hair for him, and we actually had some meaningful conversations." The redhead grinned, sipping from a white teacup in the manliest way he possibly could. "We talked about things like hobbies, combat, even relationships."_

_At this, Bakugo not so subtly choked on the hot beverage he had been sipping from nonchalantly. "What kind of fucking relationships?" He hissed, clacking the porcelain cup onto the wooden table in front of them. The redhead was unphased and hummed in thought for a moment before proceeding._

"_Well he knows about you and I, and seemed to vehemently approve." He grinned, leaning cooly against the back cushion. Nezu watched this interaction carefully and made more mental notes as the redhead spoke. "He spoke a bit about what he thought about everyone, and spoke about a male figure he knew before he came here."_

"_Did he mention any of the students in particular?" The principal questioned, setting his empty cup down. The redhead thought for a moment carefully speaking again._

"_Yeah, he spoke highly of Tokoyami and I. He was a bit aloof when I brought up Kaminari and Katsuki, and avoided talking about Todoroki when I asked." The dual-quirk user cued in more at the mention of his name. A lightbulb must've went off in Kirishima's head, because a loud gasp re-captured everyone's attentions. "Oh shit, that guy he mentioned… you don't think that might be Dabi, do you?"_

_Nezu hummed in response, but waved dismissively. "Please, continue. I'd like to hear what young Midoriya had to say about the figure regardless of the person's identity." Kirishima was a bit more nervous now that he was put on the spot, and tried recalling everything Izuku had said to him._

"_Well he mentioned that the guy was really strong, and that he shared an intense bond with him. He didn't go into any details about him, but the way his face lit up when he talked about him… whoever it was really meant a lot to him." He paused, carefully considering his next words. "...He also said the person never let him keep his hair short, and that he was so excited to have the power to make a decision when it came to his body." The boys on either side of him froze at Kirishima's choice of words. Behind the redhead's back, the two shared a contemplating look. At least they were on the same page._

* * *

Shoto ran a pale hand through his dual coloured hair, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. After that, Nezu had handed them each a keycard to Midoriya's room in case there was another infiltration. A glance back at the bathroom door revealed steam escaping under the door, seeping its way into the barren room. Looking back at his notes revealed a small doodle of a rabbit in the bottom corner, something he must've done unconsciously in his sleep-deprived state. Gathering up his materials, he decided to leave the room, opting for his own. He hadn't slept in the past 24 hours, and it was weighing heavily on his muscles. Opening his own door and locking it behind him, he barely had enough time to set down his books before collapsing in exhaustion onto his bed.

* * *

"Having fun?" Kirishima called out gleefully, hands resting on his hips. He'll admit, the redhead was quite surprised when Izuku approached him and asked _him_ to be his supervision, but glad nonetheless. Midoriya, on the other hand, was trying not to sweat through his clothes from his spiking anxiety. A majority of the other students passing by hadn't paid much attention to him, but a select few had noticed the thick metal collar and regarded him with wary looks. As they approached the main building, Izuku felt the laces of his shoes come undone a little too late. Preparing for the impact hitting the ground would have on his body, he snapped his eyes shut. After a few seconds had passed and there was no pain, he dared to open them again. Next to him was a mousy looking girl with bright brown eyes. "Thanks Uraraka, Midoriya here would probably lose his head if it wasn't screwed on!" Kirishima mused, earning a giggle from the brunette.

"Anytime! So, you're Izuku Midoriya then?" She grinned, holding out a friendly hand. Her fingers had an odd pink pattern on them, and her palms were slightly clammy, enough to match Izuku's own. He sheepishly grasped her hand and shook it firmly, his feet slowly arriving back to the safety of the concrete. The two classmates held some idle chit-chat as he kneeled down to fix his shoelace. A loud gasp sounded from behind them, gaining the attention of the two students. Izuku slowly stood, glancing behind him to see what the fuss was about. When he saw her, he felt his stomach drop and his heart freeze.

"Mom..." He whispered the word, almost more to himself than her. When his own utterance reached his ears, his breath hitched in his throat. A few feet in front of them was Inko Midoriya, clutching a small black backpack in front of her. She had lost a bit of weight since Izuku had last seen her 4 months ago when he left, and looked almost like she did when he was 14. It was as though time had stood still, nobody dared to move or breathe as the rest of the students filed into the building. With the front walkway now barren save for them, he swallowed hard and built up the courage to speak again. "You look good…" was all he could offer her, the emotion behind his words making his voice crack. The icebreaker was all she needed, dropping the bag and embracing her son. Heavy tears fell down both of their faces as Izuku wrapped his arms around his ever-loving mother. They stood like that as the minutes passed by, and his two companions did nothing to break the tender moment. Behind him he could hear the soft words they muttered to each other, but he could care less what they said in this moment.

"I-Izuku I'm so sorry…" Inko hiccuped through her tears, holding her son tighter. He placed a scarred hand on her soft green locks, only now registering how much shorter she was. "I should've seen that you were hurting, I'm so sorry!"

"Mom please, it's my fault. I got mixed up in the wrong crowd." He felt the shame rise and spread across his body. It was cold and foul, leaving a dry taste in his mouth. His words weren't lies, but they felt so much like it. "I've been awful to you these past few years mom, I'm so sorry."

Kirishima and Uraraka smiled gently, watching the moment pass when the bell rang in the building behind them. They both knew they were missing class, but neither of them could care less. Eventually the girl beside him approached the overly emotional pair, leaving just him at a distance. He watched as Izuku introduced his mother to the brunette, and he watched as they cheerfully greeted one another in conversation. It was then that something sparked in him, and he took the brown leather wallet out of his pants pocket. He glanced down at the picture Izuku had given him for reference when he cut the boy's hair. The green haired boy was so excited to show the others his haircut that he had forgotten to ask for the photo back. An uncharacteristically gentle smile ghosted his face as he tore the photo into pieces, watching as the wind blew them away. He looked up at the group ahead of him, Izuku with an arm resting around his mother who looked so grateful to have her son back, and Uraraka who appeared as cheerful as ever. The youngest Midoriya took notice of him, and waved him over. Raising a hand in greeting, he walked the few feet it took to meet them.

From the side of the main building, two unseen men watched it all unfold. The blue haired man scratched incessantly at the dry skin on his face, his eerily unsettling voice quiet as he spoke. "I'm beginning to doubt his resolve." He raised his red eyes in an effort to connect with the striking blue ones. Dabi, however, kept his eyes focused on the figure far from them. "What do you think? He is your concubine after all." The other's scarred lips were screwed into a frown. Izuku was grinning, laughing, crying… emotions brought on by those other than him. Jealousy flared its ugly head inside of him, his own scars beginning to itch in response.

"I think I need to pay him another visit."

* * *

**A/N: ploooot**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Warnings: Minor sexual assault, implied underage drinking.**

* * *

"A party?" Izuku inquired towards the redhead, who nodded gleefully. Five days had past since he had saw his mother again, and he had taken the habit of calling her once a day. He had grown closer to Kirishima and Uraraka, who in turn introduced him to some of the other girls in their dorms. They were quickly becoming some of his closest friends, and he was terrified of that fact. He had started hanging out more in the public area of the dorm as a result of his friendship with the redhead, slowly becoming friendlier and more accustomed to the presence of the other students. Kaminari had stopped giving him as many wary looks, Tokoyami and he brooded together, and Iida took it upon himself to tutor Izuku in some of the subjects they were covering in school. He forgot how tedious it was, schoolwork. After his rebellious behavior started he skipped classes every other day, and when he joined the League he stopped going altogether. Now, he and Kirishima had taken to hanging out in the redhead's room. They found many common interests, mainly video games and romantic comedies. "Do I have to dress up?"

"Of course! It's a Halloween party, dressing up is _crucial_." The other emphasized the last word. He held up a hand, signalling for Izuku to wait a moment as he delved into his messy closet. After a few moments of digging, Kirishima pulled out a furry werewolf costume. "This is mine, I was Marilyn Monroe last year." Izuku snorted at the imagery of the redhead in a blonde wig and a dress.

"Of course you were, what else would you be?" He giggled, ignoring how catty their conversation was. With a frown, he tapped his chin in thought. "How would I dress up though, I haven't exactly had the freedoms to grace a costume shop lately." He half-joked, gesturing to the thick collar around his neck. Kirishima nodded, a thought-filled frown gracing his face. A knock resounded at the door, and the redhead absently yelled for the unknown person to enter. Bakugo walked in, decked out in a cheap red devil costume, accompanied with a small red pitchfork.

Kirishima greeted him with a grunt, his mind still screwed up with the current predicament. Katsuki offered a raised hand to greet Izuku before turning his attention back to his boyfriend. "You okay? You look constipated." The comment seemed to pull the redhead out of his mind as he offered a playful slap to the blonde's arm.

"Midoriya doesn't have a costume, and it's not like we can leave to go buy one." The blonde blinked slowly, a thoughtful look crossing his face. After a moment of silence, he spoke again.

"Why don't you go ask the girls? I'm sure Momo could whip something up." He shrugged, gently kicking a pile of shirts that had accumulated in front of the other's closet. Kirishima inhaled sharply before grabbing his boyfriend by the shoulders and shaking him gently.

"_Katsuki you are a natural-born genius_!" He all but yelled. After a quick peck to the blonde's lips, he grabbed Izuku's arm and yanked him towards the door. Racing to the door that led to the stairs, he pulled the green haired boy down with him. Reaching the landing with a tall metal door, he hit the button on the intercom. A soft buzz resounded through the empty metal stairway, but the next few moments were met with utter silence. Finally a voice filled the air, startling both of the boys.

"_Who is it?_" To Izuku, it was an unfamiliar voice, but Kirishima just grinned in response. He hit the button again to speak into it, practically bouncing from excitement.

"Jiro, it's Kirishima. Let us in!"

"_If it's Bakugo with you then no._"

"Nah, it's Midoriya. Uraraka will vouch for him." Another couple of moments of silence had past before a loud buzzing noise resounded, and the redhead yanked the door open. The dorm was almost a mirror image to the boy's, but a lot nicer decor wise. There was fluffy faux fur rugs on the almost spotless floor, and the colours throughout the room were much brighter. Uraraka raced to greet them, throwing her arms around Izuku as she did so. Pulling back, the green haired boy noticed she was dressed in some sort of princess outfit. "We need Momo to make a costume for him, know where she is?"

"Yeah, she's over by the couches." She grinned up at them, pointing to the tall noirette for good measure. The small group headed towards the sitting area, clothes strewn all over the sofas. "Momo, what do you think?" Uraraka gestured to Izuku, who smiled sheepishly as the serious girl looked him up and down. He had met her once before, when the eager brunette introduced them. She was polite, but seemed a bit stern at times. Another black-haired girl walked up behind them, placing her folded arms on the back of the couch.

"I think you should put him in something sexy." She snickered, earning a sadistic chuckle from Momo. The two grinned up at Izuku, making his skin crawl slightly. The shorter noirette moved to approach the viridescent eyed boy, glancing over his frame. "He has a lean body, not too muscular. Soft curves, almost effeminate in a way." She pointed to his hips for good measure.

"Hang on a minute-" Izuku attempted to protest, but was sadly interrupted by the noirette still sat on the couch.

"Do you shave your legs?" She asked, almost innocently. However, Izuku knew that for whatever reasons she was asking were most definitely _not_ innocent. His face felt warm as a blush spread across his cheeks. Shifting his weight from foot to foot he reluctantly answered.

"...Yes." He felt the blush spread to his neck and ears. At first he had only shaved because Dabi requested it, eventually it became a routine for him, and now he kept up the habit because he wanted to. He loved the feeling of his freshly smooth skin against the sheets at night. Razors were one of the few sharp things the U.A. staff allowed him to have.

"Good, that will come in handy." Momo grinned sadistically, driving it home to Izuku that this was a really bad idea.

* * *

If his face was burning from embarrassment from before, it was borderline melting now. He felt the cold air whip against his almost bare legs as Kirishima and Kachaan walked cooly beside him. When Bakugo saw the costume Momo had made for him, he almost choked on his own air laughing. Kirishima apologized relentlessly, saying that he didn't think the girls would be so cruel to him. The heeled boots made it hard enough to balance, but the cold October air was just the icing on the cake. Entering the party, he saw several students he didn't recognize before. Tokoyami instantly greeted them, and made no comment on Izuku's costume, much to the scantily clad boy's relief.

"You guys look really good!" He smiled, a drink in one hand and the other resting on his hip. He was dressed as the quirkless hero from the show they were talking about watching just last week. Izuku smiled gratefully, glad to see a friendly face as he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders. A glance revealed Sero, covered from the neck down in a tape-like material.

"Love the costume, Midoriya. Never took you for the sexy bunny type!" The boy gauffed, his drink spilling out of the cup with the movement. The blush had returned and he bore his eyes into the ground. The arm was yanked from his shoulder and he heard Bakugo cursing at the boy dressed as a mummy.

"Oi, only I can make fun of Deku and his dumb costume." He muttered, letting go of the boy's arm before wrapping his own around Kirishima. At the other's shocked expressions, he shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever. Let's go find something to drink."

* * *

Shoto sipped nonchalantly at the _definitely-not-spiked_ punch the school provided at one of the long tables. Kaminari had dragged him here, much to his dismay. After throwing on last year's vampire costume, he relented and followed the blonde boy into the crowded building. Music was blasting over the speakers, thanks to President Mic acting as a D.J. There were several sweaty bodies pushing against each other in what resembled dancing. He normally despises these events, the deafening music, the heat of all of the bodies suffocating him, but it was better than being holed up in his dorm room alone on a holiday. A boisterous laugh echoed next to him, and he heard Kaminari choke on his drink. "Haha, holy _shit_ dude!" The blonde pointed across the room. Expecting anything other than what he saw, he too choked on his drink.

There, near the entrance to the room was Izuku Midoriya in a playboy bunny costume. The boy looked absolutely mortified by his own getup, if his body language was anything to go by. Shoto felt his face heat up at just how much of the boy's skin was showing. He was about to approach the group when they were dragged into the crowd by Bakugo, and he lost sight of them among the sea of moving bodies. A soft body leaned against him, and a glance revealed Momo dressed as a creepy nurse from one of those horror games. She and Shoto had grown close over the past few years, to the point where she was the first person he came out to. He had a feeling the girl was interested in him at first, but when he began to explain where his interests lie, she vehemently reassured him she only thought of him as a friend. Since then, they've been joined at the hip. He told her everything, even his recurring dreams about the boy he now knew as Izuku Midoriya. A stared into his drink, the liquid rippling with the beat of the music. Shoto will admit, the green haired boy wasn't who he was expecting after all these years. He was a lot cockier, with sarcasm to rival his own, and a seemingly dark sense of humor. He hadn't changed much appearance wise, but for some reason that didn't bother him. Momo chattered beside him, but he continued to delve into what he thought about the other boy. There were moments where he saw the same scared boy he met a few years ago, like the other day when that villain broke into his room. Glancing at the crowd again, he briefly caught a glimpse of green hair and bunny ears.

His cheeks still painted pink, he cast his eyes back down to the sloshing fruit punch in his plastic cup. The music paused as the songs changed, and he let a sigh escape his lips when he felt a small hand on his shoulder. "You feeling okay, Todo?" Momo inquired in a motherly tone, her own cup now empty.

"Yeah, just thinking is all." Shoto hummed in response, ignoring the nickname the noirette used. He glanced back at the table with the drinks on it and chuckled when he saw both Kirishima and Izuku trying to control Bakugo's apparent alcoholism. Setting his own cup down, he looked back at Momo, mouthing the word 'bathroom' before heading into the crowd.

* * *

Izuku sighed, his cup full of "_it-might-be-spiked"_ fruit punch slowly getting warmer from his own body heat combined with the heat radiating throughout the room. He felt a body come from behind him and familiar fingers wrap around his bandaged wrist. With a gasp, he whipped around and stared up into familiar icey blue eyes. The anxiety inside his chest spiked, causing the thin hairs on his arms to raise. "Dabi…" he muttered breathily, the other laid a hand on his hip. Fingers tapped against the thin black material barely covering his torso, as his other hand drew small circles on his left wrist. "...pretty ballsy to show up in a room crowded with superheroes." He whispered under his breath, knowing the other heard it regardless. The taller man shrugged simply, and dragged him onto the dance floor.

"I had to see you." He said lowly, the scent of ashes and scotch filling Izuku's senses. '_I could get drunk off of his smell.'_ The verdant eyed boy thought absently, a scarred hand resting the other older man's chest. They swayed to the beat of the music, Dabi flipping Izuku around to grind against the younger boy. Although his cheeks were on fire, he complied with the other's movement. His eyelids felt heavy with building lust at the borderline sexual dancing. Just as the anxiety began to leave his body, he felt eyes on him. Nonchalantly looking around the room, he made eye contact with a pair of golden eyes that seemed to glow under the flashing lights. Kaminari's gaze burned into him, an expression akin to hatred on his normally friendly face. His heart lurched in his throat, and he felt the anxiety return. The lust dissipated as quickly as it came, and he grasped his fingers around Dabi's wrist. Yanking gently, he pulled the other through the crowd and into the mostly empty cold hallway. He continued down the corridor until they found a bathroom, Izuku leading the other into it. Before he could turn around to explain his actions to the villain, he felt scarred lips press softly against the side of his neck. "You were beautiful out there, Izuku." The other growled as strong hands grasped his hips with a force that sent shivers through the younger.

"Stop, that's not what-" The words were torn from his mouth when he felt the small of his back hit the edge of the sink counter. The taller of the two placed his fingers under the green haired boy's chin, lifting it up with a surprisingly gentle touch. Scarred lips pressed against his own, moving hungrily as hands found their way back to his hips. Izuku couldn't find it within himself to move, it was as if he was frozen. He wanted this for years and here Dabi was, kissing him, pressing his body against his smaller frame. Absentmindedly, a groan escaped his lips. '_I wanted this for so long… so why does it feel so…'_ His brows furrowed, and he pressed his hands against the other's chest. Dabi tore his mouth off the other's, and made his way to the skin on Izuku's neck once again. Another groan echoed against the bathroom tiles. "Stop, please…" Tears welled up in his eyes, threatening to spill over. His pleas came out soft and broken, and he wasn't sure the other even heard him. When the hands on his hips began yanking at his costume, it registered to him just what was happening. With a surge of courage, he pushed forcibly against the other's chest. The older hit one of the stall doors, letting out a curse before turning his attention to the boy in front of him.

"Izuku, what the _fuck_?" Dabi growled, the lust in his steely gaze replaced with rage. The green haired boy felt his legs shake, threatening to give out from under him. A blue glow replaced the dim lighting in the bathroom as the villain activated his quirk. The azure flames rose from the other's hand as the older approached Izuku. "First you cut your hair, then show up to a party like this dressed like that; you grind against me, drag me into a bathroom, and now you reject my advances?" His voice was practically dripping with venom, and any courage the younger had beforehand melted away in that moment. It was at that moment when a stall door near the entrance of the bathroom opened, gaining the attention of both males. Shoto stepped out, headphones in his ears. When he turned towards the sink, he saw the two staring at him in shock he yanked out the white earbuds, opting to shove them in his pocket. He raised a hand in friendly greeting, mainly directed at Izuku.

"Hey Midoriya, you come in here to get away from the crowd too?" The two-toned boy inquired monotonically. It was then that he noticed the body language of both men, and saw the faintest hint of blue fire dissipate from the unfamiliar male's hand. His stomach dropped and he registered the fear in Izuku's eyes. Turning his attention to the stranger, he placed himself in front of the green haired boy casually. "I'm not sure who you are, but I think it's best if you leave." He spoke calmly, but it felt as though the pit in his stomach was growing heavier and heavier. The blue eyed man looked him up and down before he stood to his full height.

"Dabi, I'm Izuku's boyfriend." The other spoke plainly, but the hair on the back of Shoto's neck stood on end. '_Dabi… the villain Midoriya spoke about.'_ Focused on preventing his breath from hitching in his throat, he kept his muscles tense. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, the older man coughed. "Well, we should be going. Come on Izuku, let's finish our _conversation_ in your dorm." He gestured for the boy behind Todoroki to follow him, but Shoto stepped back in a casual attempt to shield the boy. Dabi tsk'd at this action, and scowled menacingly.

"He's not going anywhere, I'm his acting supervision for when he's out on campus." Shoto deadpanned at the man, knowing full well the words weren't completely a lie. He wanted to avoid a fight if he could, but prepared himself for one nonetheless. Behind the taller boy, Izuku was fighting off a panic attack. His limbs were shaking, but he forced himself to press his body against the heterochromatic boy's back. Knowing full well the other could feel him shaking, feel out scared he was, he relaxed just a tiny bit. Dabi saw this action and frowned again.

"Really, Izuku? You told him about me?" He inquired unknowingly, but when he saw both boys tense at the question, he knew his assumptions were correct. Wrath began to raise in throat, and azure flames erupted from his pale fingertips. Watching the way _his_ Izuku clung to Shoto made his anger boil. He let out an almost maniacal laugh as the other glared him down, feebly attempting to shield Midoriya from his view. "What else did you tell them? About how you willingly joined the League? About how you abandoned your poor mother?"

"_Stop it!_" Izuku shouted, stepping out from behind Shoto. The viridescent eyed boy looked so desperate and so angry at the same time. Next to him, the youngest Todoroki tensed a bit at Dabi's words. His mismatched eyes continued to stare down the older villain, but he became just a bit more aware of Midoriya's presence. Dabi let out another fit of giggles, throwing his hands up dramatically.

"Did you tell them about your jobs? About us? Did you tell them you're _quirkless_?!" At this, the laughter stopped, and time seemingly stood still. The blue fire had disappeared, and the black haired villain let out a curse as he ran a hand through his hair. Izuku felt his world crashing down, everything the League of Villains has been planning just _died_ thanks to Dabi's anger. "Izuku Midoriya, it's time to come home. Tomura wants you home." He muttered, holding out what was once a gentle hand to Izuku. Despite his inner conflict, he shook his head at the offer. The villain glared at the two before he felt the warp open behind him, dragging him forcibly back into the darkness.

Minutes of silence had passed, neither of the boys dared to move. The door to the bathroom creaked open, and a familiar blonde stumbled into the bathroom alone. Noticing the tenseness of the air, Bakugo chuckled darkly. "What, did you two kiss or something?" He muttered, pressing his palms onto the counter of the sink to help balance himself. Izuku turned his gaze to his childhood friend, tears overflowing onto his freckled cheeks.

"K-Kachaan…" He sobbed, throwing his arms around his drunken childhood friend. It was as though someone flipped a switch in Shoto's mind and he finally registered Dabi's words. His eyes widened and his stomach lurched into his throat. '_It all adds up…'_

"Quirkless…" He muttered more-so to himself than the others in the bathroom with him. His heart pounded against his breastbone. His words caught the attention of the other two, however.

"So you know, then?" Katsuki frowned, shoving his hands into his pockets. He watched the other's reaction carefully as the heterochromatic boy was reeling from the revelation. Shoto moved his gaze to focus on the blonde's, blinking away the shock.

"You knew?"

"Well yeah, I've known Deku since we were in diapers. I figured he wouldn't grow a quirk out of nowhere." He stated it as though it were completely natural, and a scowl crossed his face. "I didn't want anyone giving him a harder time than he already would, ya'know with being a villain and all."

Shoto drew his lips into a thin line, and forced his expression to become neutral. His muscles slowly became more lax after Bakugo's explanation. "I see." He unintentionally hissed the words through his teeth as he moved to leave the bathroom, pushing his way past the others. Now left alone in the cold bathroom, Izuku bore his eyes into the tile as the blonde moved to the urinal. Making his way back out into the hallway, he was overcome with the shock of what had just transpired. He barely registered a hand on his shoulder, and the calm voice associated with it. The body next to him guided him outside into the cool air, across campus and into the dorms. When he saw his door in front of him, he felt the exhaustion overtake him. Leaning against the thin framed figure next to him, he let himself be guided to his bed, falling into the covers gratefully as the figure tucked him in before sitting down at the desk. A deep but soothing voice whispered into the darkness of the room as a lanky hand ran through golden hair.

"What have you gotten yourself into, young Midoriya?"

* * *

**A/N: and here we see a wild Todoroki, questioning his feelings for his acquaintance. Because it's _totally_ normal to dream about someone for 3 years straight.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Last one boyos. It was a hell of a ride.**

* * *

Izuku sat on the concrete of his balcony, the cold air nipping at his freckled cheeks. After the incident at the Halloween party, it became common knowledge throughout the dorms and among the staff of U.A. that he was, indeed, quirkless. They double-checked his records and confirmed it with his mother. He had cut off communication with his dorm-mates, and refused to leave his room until everyone was fast asleep. Due to this, he had taken to storing snacks in his desk drawers. His floor was covered in wrappers and garbage he couldn't be bothered to pick up. Pulling the comforter tighter around him, he watched from a distance as everyone ran laps around the school. He caught the slightest glimpse of Todoroki running farther ahead than most of the class, and an involuntary wince crossed his expression. It had been almost two weeks since the party, and the boy had either completely avoided him and left the room when he entered it. Turning his gaze back to the sky, he thought about the others. Kirishima and Uraraka had yet to give up on coaxing him out of his room, while Iida still pushed schoolwork under his door every other afternoon. A glance at his desk would reveal that he actually continued to complete the assignments, but he stubbornly refused to leave the room to turn it into the other for "grading." Bakugo and Kaminari had left him alone, and Tokoyami slipped the password for his Hulu account under the door. A cold sigh escaped his lips, and he listened as the familiar noise of distortion resounded behind him. Izuku didn't need to turn around to know who it was, he could guess. Dabi had shown up a few times since the incident, but he refused to talk to the villain altogether. Toga hadn't shown her face since he took this job, and Tomura was more than likely off punishing Dabi; which left one possibility. "Kurogiri." He greeted absently as the clacking of dress shoes neared him.

"Midoriya." The warp-gate villain greeted, making no comment about the state of the aforementioned boy's room. After a moment of silence had passed, the younger of the two stood and made eye contact with the other, waiting for an explanation. "It's happening today." Izuku's eyebrows furrowed at this, and his lips were pulled down slightly, but he nodded regardless.

"I understand. I'll gather my things."

* * *

The green and white suit clung to his skin, and the intimidating metal mask hung heavy against his jaw. The rabbit ears stood up, making him appear much taller than he really was. Izuku frowned under the mask, rifling through the papers in the filing cabinet. When Kurogiri helped get the collar off his neck, he never felt so free. As far as anyone knew, he was still in his room. Yet here he was, stealing student and staff member files. The black bag hung heavy at his side from the amount of papers he had shoved in there. Every file regarding the staff, every file from the third year's "B-class", and almost every file from the third year's "A-class." Frowning, he glanced at the ones he had left on top of the metal cabinet. '_Fumikage Tokoyami, Katsuki Bakugo, Eijiro Kirishima, Ochako Uraraka…'_ his thoughts paused as he glanced at the final file in the pile. He wasn't sure what possessed him to leave these files out, but something told him he would regret it if he didn't. '_...Shoto Todoroki.'_

Grasping the lighter from his pocket, he poured some of the contents of the flask he had requested from Kurogiri onto the files. Lighting them on fire, he watched as the flames spread in his hands before dropping the files onto the carpeted floor. In about 30 seconds, the fire alarm will trip, and the whole school will be on alert. Racing through the hallway, he crouched behind the vending machine and waited. Surely enough, the alarm echoed through the hallway. Racing from the room he kept an eye on, the staff fled towards the doors to guide the students outside while they waited for the water and fire-controlling quirk heroes to handle the situation. He raced into the room just as his window of opportunity was closing, shutting the door quietly behind him. A sigh escaped his masked lips, and he briefly allowed his muscles to grow lax. Bad idea.

He felt the material wrap around his wrist and yank him across the room. Allowing his body to be pulled with the movement, he slid along the tile and watched carefully as his assailant stared him down. A grin found its way to his face, straining his freckles cheeks. "Shota Aizawa. What a lovely surprise." He chuckled lowly, pulling against the scarf wrapped around his wrist. It wouldn't give into the strain, however, and he let out an annoyed sigh. "Well, your quirk is utterly useless against me, so why don't we call this a draw?"

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted you." The teacher scowled menacingly in a way that made Izuku's skin crawl ever-so-slightly. The green haired boy hummed in response, and raised a green pocket knife from his belt to slice the material off of his wrist. This action only caused another end of the scarf to be wrapped around his ankle, yanking his body out from under him. Just as he hit the ground he felt the tile disappear from under him and he reappeared behind the homeroom teacher. Holding his knife confidently, he sliced the layers of the scarf in two. As the material fell loosely to the floor, Aizawa whipped around just as Izuku fell back into the floor. Another warp opened in front of the pro-hero, and before he could move a hand reached out and grasped his face. Aizawa stifled back a scream as he felt the skin on his face chipping away. Izuku quickly grabbed at the papers in the principal's cabinet, filled with notes he had given them about the villains and notes about himself. Shigaraki emerged from the warp as the pro fell to the ground, clutching his face in pain.

"_Well, he was annoying. Ready to go, Deku?_" The blue-haired villain hissed, not waiting for a response as he stepped back into the warp. Izuku followed suit, and found himself outside just as Kurogiri closed the portal. In front of them stood the A-Class, and he stepped out from behind Shigaraki to make himself known to his former dorm-mates. He watched as recognition flitted across a few of their faces. From behind him he heard as more and more villains piled in around them. Himiko appeared next to him, grinning wildly; Dabi placed a hand on his shoulder, which he shrugged off not-so-subtly. He felt the confidence surge in him, and he knew that this was his moment. '_It's now or never...'_

He stepped out calmly between the two gathered groups, ignoring Shigaraki's inquiries or the looks of confusion from the heroes-in-training. Throwing the bag onto the ground in front of the villains, he cleared his throat to speak. "In that bag is the information of every U.A. staff member and student, every member of the League of Villains, and this-" he held up a file "-is all of the information regarding me. The information is free for you to take, Tomura. But I'm out." A moment of silence passed before the villain known as Shigaraki let out a breathy laugh.

"_Excuse me? You think you can just leave?_" The blue haired villain choked out, earning a couple giggles from the others. Himiko looked at Izuku in an almost hurt manner, but he knew the girl was an utter psychopath. He tightened his jaw as the laughter continued, even built slightly from a couple of the villains. Dabi's gaze was steely on him, and he refused to acknowledge the others. "_Ever the rebellious teenager, eh? You betray your mother, betray your little friends here, and now us?_" Izuku shoved his hands into the shallow pockets in his green suit, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, that's about the gist of it."

"_You aided in killing a pro-hero._" Shigaraki hissed, his words piercing the students who stood by nervously. Kirishima was struggling to hold Bakugo back from charging and taking on all of the villains himself. Izuku took the time to glance at all the people he had met here, glancing over a majority of them before his eyes rested on Shoto Todoroki. "_Don't think you're just walking away from this._"

"Oh, I know I'm not." Izuku grinned under the mask, turning his attention back to the blue haired villain. He glanced briefly at Dabi, a twinge of guilt rearing its head but he quickly stomped it into the dirt. Pulling out his lighter, he set the file with his own information alight, dropping it to the ground. "I'm still a villain, after all. But taking orders from someone so fucking _annoying_ really gets to you. Seriously, have you heard yourself talk?"

"Why?" He heard behind him, the voice so calm but so hurt at the same time. Turning around, Izuku made eye contact with the two-toned boy who had asked the question. Without skipping a beat, the green haired boy found his answer.

"Because it was a fun challenge." It was a lie, but they didn't have to know that. Every part of Izuku wanted to go back to the dorm, to binge movies with Kirishima or spar with Katsuki. A large part of him wanted to go back to the way it was, to bond with the aloof heterochromatic boy and finish the year as a student at U.A. Highschool. He hesitated before reaching to his belt, grasping the trigger-like device. Turning his back to the villains, he slowly approached the group of students, many of whom stood defensively at his advances. Standing just a few feet away from Todoroki, he almost choked on the words he wished to speak. "I never properly thanked you back then. I was hurt, and you helped me out. So… consider us even." Shoto's eyebrows furrowed at this, but just as he opened his mouth to speak, he heard a snort next to him.

"Even? You call this even you fucking Deku?!" Bakugo shouted, struggling to free himself from Kirishima's grasp. The redhead himself was in shock at the entire revelation, but his arms moved on their own accord as he held his boyfriend away from the fight. At this, the ex-villain turned his head to look at his childhood friend. A surge of various memories bubbled up, and under the mask he smiled gratefully.

"Yeah… because I stalled you all long enough for backup to get here." As if on cue, the sound of sirens rapidly approaching filled their ears. They were maybe 20 seconds from bursting through the school gates, and from the corner of his eye he could see a few of the staff members racing towards the two groups. He was running out of time and he knew it. Raising a hand, he flipped off the entire League of Villains before racing the few feet away to the large steel wall. The hand holding the grappling hook he grabbed off his belt earlier shot up and landed the spike into the top of the wall, shooting him up to the safety of the top. As his feet hit the concrete on the other side, he heard the fight break out before disappearing into the darkness of a nearby alley.

* * *

Shoto palmed the sleep away from his eyes, every muscle growing heavier and heavier with each passing hour they sat in the police station. Each of them had been questioned extensively since the incident. After Izuku's departure, more than a couple villains escaped, but a majority of them were apprehended. Glancing up at the small television they had in the police station waiting room revealed tonights top headline. Every news station on the planet had their own variation on how U.A. was attacked, how the top villains managed to escape, and they took it upon themselves to blame the school itself for the incident. More than one student was interviewed about how the staff dared to allow a villain among their own, and how their parents were horrified at the lack of consideration when it came to their children. If it weren't for the hours of interrogation, Shoto might find amusement at the amount of parents who are more than likely building lawsuits against the prestigious school. The news stations that weren't discussing U.A. were talking about the dangerous villain known as "The Betrayer Deku" and how everyone should be on the lookout. Kirishima let out a sigh next to him when the pixelated photo of Izuku's costume popped up on the television.

"Do you think he's okay?" The redhead grumbled next to him, causing the heterochromatic boy to glance at him in bewilderment.

"Why do you care?" He retorted, although it held no spite. The other sighed, running a hand through his spiky dyed hair. Resting his elbows on his knees, he kept his eyes on the T.V.

"I had more time to get to know him. He wasn't anything like he pretended to be…" He paused, letting his words sink in for a moment. "...he was actually really nice, and passionate about stuff. You should've seen the way he praised heroes, despite his past. The way he acted with most of us… it wasn't all fake." Shoto let himself believe Kirishima's words, but couldn't help the slimy feeling of betrayal on his skin. He wondered what he could've done differently to keep Midoriya in their lives, to keep him from making _that_ decision.

"Shoto Todoroki, you're wanted for questioning." A voice on the intercom echoed through the room full of half-asleep students. It was almost 3 in the morning at this point, and a majority of them had taken to sleeping on the chairs. With an annoyed sigh, he ran a hand through his messy dual-coloured hair.

"Here we go again..."

* * *

Izuku Midoriya watched as the mostly empty black belt carried the bags of various shapes and sizes in a circle, taking note to keep the hood of his light blue hoodie drawn up. Grasping the black backpack he kept a minimal amount of possessions in, he took a deep inhale and walked down the stairs to the large glass doors. Walking out of the airport, he hailed the nearest taxi. Their brief exchange consisted of an address and cash payment, other than that the drive was quiet. As the city faded into houses, and the houses faded to trees, he let out a sigh. The air here was colder, but much cleaner than back home. Keeping his gaze out the window, his mind wandered back to those he left behind. '_I'll miss Kirishima and Kachaan, but…'_ he watched as the road become less and less crowded with cars, his mind wandering back to one person in particular. '_I think I'll regret not getting to know him better…'_

When he felt the road transition from smooth pavement to rocky gravel, he knew they were getting close to their trees around them were in abundance now, blocking out the sun from their height and density. Rolling down the cab window, he let the cold wind blow through his thick green locks. Pulling up to a modern-looking house, he exited the yellow vehicle. Slugging the light backpack over his shoulder, he waved the driver away, watching the car disappear down the long driveway. When it was out of sight, he approached the building, taking notice of the sleeping German Shepherd in the large glass window. His red sneakers thudded against the steps as he made his way to the front door, and he felt his nerves spike momentarily, but buried them. Raising a clenched hand, he let his knuckles make contact with the door, the knocking echoing in the quiet forest. The dog he had seen in the window was now racing to the door, barking loudly to alert his master of the presence outside. Izuku braced himself as a tall figure opened the door, and he let a genuine smile grace his face.

"Hi Dad."

* * *

**A/N: This story ain't really done yet. This particular fanfic "Arulas" is just part 1 to a two/three part series I'm working on. Consider this the prologue/backstory for the real fanfic, which will be much longer and much slower paced. I wrote this fanfic in the span of 2-ish weeks, so I don't know how long it will take for the next one to come out.**


End file.
